Logitech G933 Repair

hipmusicman · February 7, 2020

So I've been dealing with a glitchy volume knob on my G933s for a while.

When you try to turn the volume knob in either direction, it tends to "freak out" and turn the volume up all the way. The only way to get the volume to go back down is to gently turn the volume knob down as slowly and delicately as possible. Though that didn't always work.

My final solution was to do some surgery. Here is that experience:

What I needed:

Tiny philips screw driver (P1 I think it's called. A littler larger than any jewelers screw driver)

Replacement incremental encoder EC05E1220401 (volume control) found here:

Alps Alpine Incremental Encoder, Buy from Mouser

Patience

Taking apart the headset is pretty straight forward.

After taking off the cushion (just slips off), it's just a few philips screws and the speaker will come right off. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO BREAK THE SPEAKER WIRE.

The buttons and power switch plate will be loose so take that off next.

Un-latch the ribbon cable to the button array board.

Removing the volume knob and button array board can take some convincing but take your time, it'll come out. The speaker will travel with the board as you work with it so be aware of that.

The volume knob will still be attached to the board. Once the board is out, just pop it off with a little tug.

At this point, you're ready to replace the incremental encoder (fancy terms for volume control).

Before you attempt to remove the encoder, put some aluminum tape against the nearest tactile switch (button) so you don't melt it (just a good precaution). I didn't take a picture of with the aluminum tape on so here's an example with some mediocre photo shop.

To remove it, I put the board in a clamp (there are components on the bottom of the board directly beneath the encoder so don't let anything touch those while you're working). Then use just a touch of flux on each joint (you really don't need much) and a heat gun at about 400-450F (~220C). Since the solder is lead-free it requires that extra heat. KEEP THE HEAT GUN MOVING AROUND THE COMPONENT SO YOU DON'T MELT SOMETHING IMPORTANT.

Once you start seeing the solder liquefying, grab the component with tweezers and give it just a light tug as you continue to heat. It should pop right off. TRY TO KEEP HEAT ON THE PADS AFTER YOU REMOVE IT. KEEP THE HEAT GUN MOVING.

Grab a new encoder and while the solder is still liquid, place the new one on the board. It should set right in the solder without too much effort (there's also centering pegs on the component that sit into holes on the board to help straighten it out. Keep pressure on the component. Remove the heat and it should solidify nicely. If it doesn't, you can use a soldering iron and add just a bit of solder to each joint.

Clean the entire area with isopropyl alcohol.

Sit back and admire your handy work.

Assembly is the reverse of disassembly but make sure the power switch is seated correctly.

SMD/SMT components can be a bit intimidating and even soldering in general but I find it helpful to do a dry run and go through all the motions before proceeding to make sure you have a rhythm down.

Just know that when I did it, I had an electronics manufacturing facility and some very knowledgeable people to work with (it's where I work. Though I don't solder stuff too often. I'm in charge of machine programming so I'm at a computer most of the time).

Also when I did it, I used solder paste instead of flux and didn't keep the heat on through removal and replacement of the component so I was left with cold solder joints for one of my co-workers to touch up for me. Certainly not ideal but I'm lucky to be around these resources and people. You may not be so lucky.

I'm sure some of you might ask "why don't you just replace the headset?". It should be fairly obvious as to why but for those of you that want more info on the subject, I largely value the experience. Trying new things and honing an existing "skill" is something that I really enjoy. If I have the knowledge, the ability, and time to repair this stuff, I'm going to. Also the headset was $200 when I bought it .

hipmusicman · May 31, 2022

I'm quite late to the party, so to speak, but I've gotten a few messages over the last year or so about the power switch and one about the mic mute switch and where to get them. Unfortunately, the best advice I can give is try to research as much as you can. For the encoder, I had to start by figuring out what it even was in the first place. I thought it was a pot way before I discovered it was an encoder. But I figured it out by searching specific things about it. Does it have a stop? No. Are their any indents? Yes. How many per revolution? 6... I think. What does it do when you attempt to meter it? Pulses. Does it have any markings. Are the dimensions helpful?

I understand this doesn't really help but this is what I do to figure this stuff out in addition to looking up common issues and if anyone else has any specific fixes/parts. The nice thing about the switches is that they aren't complicated. In theory, they are fairly basic switches. Put a meter to them to see what exactly happens when you push them. That will help you narrow down their specific schematic. Amazon and ebay really help when looking for those specific parts for specific electronics. Then you can purchase those specific parts from more trustworthy sources like DigiKey or Mouser.

Again, I'm sorry this isn't super helpful in a specific sense but I hope it gets you on the right track.